A Gift From Daddy

Madison will her dog "Molly Tamalie". Is was a present from daddy. We went to Build A Bear and let her pick out what animal she wanted and daddy made a special recording to go in the foot, "I love you, Madison!" She has been carrying the dog around with her everywhere she goes. Today Molly got Christmas bows on her ears just like really dog do when they go to the dog hair place. "Molly needs some bows so she can look Christmasy."

Pancakes

I didn't know what to make for dinner to night so I asked Madison. "What do you want for dinner tonight?" "PANCAKES!" She said "With Christmas sprinkles!" So I made pancakes with whipped cream and Christmas sparnkles. Madison loves pancakes, she ate the same amount of pancakes as me. (Four small pancakes.) They sure were tasty. Madison with the spatula, she asked to lick it because pancake are her favorite thing to eat. "Mom you should make pancakes everynight because I would eat them, I would eat them everyday, all the time."

O' Christmas Tree

Our family tradition is to put our Christmas tree up on Thanksgiving day after all the Thanksgiving celebrations are finished. Thanksgiving night we dug out all the Christmas decorations, put on the Christmas music and Santa hats and decorated for a few hours. (I noticed that the hats are missing from all of the photos here. Madison was mad because I forced her to trade hats with me since I was wearing a kids and she was wearing mine. If she can't have the hat she wants then NO ONE can wear a hat.) The tree looks nice and the house is starting to look like is Christmas in on the way. The weather on the other hand shows no sign that winter is on it's way. Try to explain that winter in almost here to a four year old when she thinks it is warm enough to go swimming everyday. "Yes honey it is almost winter, it just doesn't get cold here or snow."

Jadite and Red Kitchen

From Kasse
Originally uploaded by from my cherry heart

I have been rethinking my homes decor. I like the Pottery Barn look but I also love antiques and vintage things. I was telling myself that I didn't like the antiques and old stuff quite as much as I liked Pottery barn but I realized that I do like my antiques more than I thought. I have to find a way to display the old and new in a way that is not to country. I do like the country style but mainly I like the antique and a clean, fresh, modern look. I think I am on my way to creating the home I have in my mind. I am working a putting together a notebook of ideas. I have lots a ideas and now I just have to put them to work in my own house.
One of the ideas I had was to have a red and jadite kitchen. I just painted the walls beige, I wanted neutral color. I had a wine theme kithen but I have always loved jadite and now I am going to start collecting the jadite dishes. I have a swirl mixing bowl that my mom gave me. As of right now it is my only piece but I will start adding to it soon.

Why don't you bake something already?

Raspberry mint cupcakes
Originally uploaded by show and tell

Don't these cupcakes look tasty? I seen this picture on flickr and thought to myself, "I need to start to bake stuff again." I had been looking for jadite ware and found these cupcakes on this cute jadite pedestel. I want to start cooking up some tasty treats. I have many recipes that I want to try, maybe now would be a good time to start baking. My daughter loves to bake with me so sometime this week we will get busy in the kitchen whipping up some tasty treats. Tomorrow we will get a recipe, hit the grocery store and start baking!

Dreams of a Home

Charles D. MacKenzie Home - 1904
Originally uploaded by Bob_2006

This morning I decided that I would gather some picture ideas of houses and decorating style that I like. I have a hard time sticking with one style sometimes. I thought that if I have a bunch of different pictures of things that I like that I will be able to come up with a style or my own. My plan is to add to the style that I choose and find things that will work in the house they we will buy once we retire from military life. I figure I have a few years to start collecting things that I love and make them come together to be something I really love and that show my personal taste. I wanted to look at house both inside and out because I want a house with lots of character inside and out. I really love the picture of the house above because I love the character it has; I really like the covered front porch and pillars. I really like the house and it reminds me of the house my sister-in-law lived in when I first met her. I loved her house. I love hard wood floors, crown molding, solid wood doors and built ins. I am excited about owning a home again even though it may be a long time yet I am going to make myself and my family comfortable in the house we live in until we have our own "home sweet home."
I have also done a lot of thinking about the area where I would like to live when we are done with the military moves. I would like to move to Holland, MI. I have lived there and I love the downtown and the lakes. I look forward to moving back to Michigan and settling down. There are lots of antique and cottage style shops around the area which I love visiting. I love everything about Michigan, even the snow. I say that I hate the snow but since I am missing it this year I realize how much I miss it. I will also miss fall, we left a the beginning of fall and we missed the apple orchards and falling leaves. Two of my favorite things, I miss the air when it starts to cold and you know fall is here and winter is on it's way. I am looking forward to all the wonders Michigan has to offer. Soon I will be back.

Snowy Christmas

Snowy Christmas
Originally uploaded by ddmule

Snowy Christmas, not this year. I will miss the snow this year. I look the way it looks, like sprakling glitter. Peacefully laying where ever it is blown. Kind of like me, minus the peacefully part. I love the look of snow but I don't like the fact that it has to be freezing cold for it to be on the ground. Looking on the bright side I will not freeze this year or have to worry about driving on slippery roads. I will subsitute sand for snow and palm trees for pine trees. I will have a warm Christmas this year.

Bungalow Home

california bungalow2 *Not my Photo*
Originally uploaded by pfrench99

I really love the character of old homes. I like the colors and decor of the home showed above. I like to do my own decor for the holidays and different seasons but if you like cottage or coutry style decor it doesn't alway look nice with a mediterranean home. I am looking forward to having a home the matches my taste. I am also looking forward to doing my own lawnscaping and gardening. I have many ideas for all the things with would like to accomplish once I get my own home.

Home Ownship Dreams

california bungalow6 *Not my Photo*
Originally uploaded by pfrench99

As a military home ownership is not also easy since you are always moving. However I have a dream of becoming home owners once we have retired from the military and settle down. I don't know where we will settle but I know what kind of house I would like. I want a bungalow or cottage style house. I want an old house with lots of character; built-in cabinets andd bookshelfs, solid wood doors, glass door knobs, and lots of small details. I want a house that I can put my own stamp on, a house of my own. I know that this dream is one day become a reality with lots of patience. The house above is one of the homes I picture when I think about owning my own house. I see myself buying a fixer upper and working at putting back to the way it was years ago. Of course with the help of my dear husband.